Fortune-telling cards



March 24, 1936. F. SALINGER FORTUNE TELLING CARDS Filed Nov. 19, 1934 Patented Mar. 24, 1936 UNlTED STATE ATENT OFFIE 3 Claims.

My invention relates to fortune-telling cards, and more particularly to such of these as carry illustrations suggestive of disclosures in the pastime or entertainment of telling fortunes, and one object of the invention is to provide a set of cards which bear a written message or phrase to give additional force or meaning to the picture carried by the card.

A further object of the invention is to divide a set or pack of cards into groups having a common subject, and arrange each group for separate choice or attention.

A still further object of the invention is to so compose the messages or phrases on the various cards that they can be co-ordinated in any combination to create a meaning or set of circumstances which the reader or teller can easily interpret and shape into an interesting or entertaining disclosure.

Another object of the invention is to provide a key or master card as a basis for the subjects represented by the card groups above referred to, the key card being placed in the center and the groups in positions corresponding to indications on the key card.

With the above objects in view and any others that may suggest themselves from the specification and claims to follow, a better understanding of the invention may be had by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a view of a set of cards with their groups arranged about the central key card;

Figure 2 is an enlarged View of the key card; and

Figure 3 is an illustration of a typical card group.

The cards I employ for the purposes specified are preferably of the conventional playing card size, although they could be of any other size which may best suit other purposes or requirements. The backs of the cards are naturally alike and with any preferred design; the fronts, however, each bear the suggestive pictures and statements referred to, although some cards need not carry any illustration but convey the full eifect by means of the statement. As shown in Figure 3, the illustrations on most of the cards are suggestive of the meaning intended to be conveyed thereby; however, it is apparent that the written statements add considerable force to the illustrations and serve as messages.

A pack may contain twenty-five cards or more, as requirements may dictate. Thus, with a twenty-five-card pack illustrated in the drawing, it will be seen that I have arranged these in four groups of six each in the corners of a rectangle, while placing the last card in the center. The last card is called the key or master card and is provided with four keys pointing from the center toward the corners of the cards; or, I may '5 choose to replace the keys by heavy arrows or other indicators, either form being intended to draw attention to the particular corner of the card and the subject concerned with the same.

It is seen in Figure 2 that each corner subject 10 of the key card deals with a topic in human life, such as the livelihood, the family, etc. Thus, with the set of cards arranged as in Figure 1, it is intended that the key card govern the particular card groups toward which the keys point 15 along the lines of the corresponding subject. To illustrate, the teller may first shufile the cards and deal out the key card and one group of six cards at the upper left-hand corner thereof; or, the person whose fortune is being told may 20 shuffle the cards, out the deck, make a wish and hand the deck to the teller to deal out as just mentioned.

The group of cards just laid out is governed by that corner of the key card which has the 25 subject concerning the livelihood of the person whose fortune is being told. Assuming that the cards in the given group occur as the ones in Figure 3, the teller proceeds to interpret them to fit the subject, using the material on the cards 30 for the purposes of suggestion and employing such explanatory matter as his or her judgment or imagination may dictate to mold the representations on the cards into an interesting, entertaining or fascinating disclosure. Thus, in 35 the group illustrated, the teller might state that the subject will lose his or her position over a love aifair, and that the grief occasioned by the situation will bring tears. In the meantime, sense dictates to place an advertisement in the news- 40 paper for a position, and a number of puzzling and unusual replies are received, causing plenty of excitement. At the same time, the subject has mentioned his or her plight while taking a gift to a wedding anniversary, where the hus- 45 band suggests a fascinating business course for the unemployed person. Later, an agent of the business college calls on the subject and interests him or her in taking the course. Results are beyond all expectations, and a position is assured 50 within a month.

It will be evident from the above illustration that the card pictures and the written statements thereon constitute not only basic material to be pieced together, but that the statements or 55 phrases themselves are susceptible to interconnection by the use of a small amount of mental aid or imagination. The cards therefore make it an easy matter for the average person to assume the role of an authority in the handling and interpretation of fortune-telling cards, and the pastime can thus appeal to many people of ordinary intelligence and prove a source of fascinating entertainment, mystery and exciting fun. It goes without saying that further groups of the cards may be dealt for the same person on the other subjects of the key card, whereby to change the nature of the disclosures 'from time to time, the cards being adaptable for connective interpretation on any of the subjects chosen, whatever combination they may have in a given group. The novel fortune-telling cards may also be employed for the playing of games. Thus, one game may be played as follows:

After the cards are shuffled and cut, the teller deals one card at a time to each of the other players. The latter then turn the cards face-up, and the dealer reads the fortune of each person holding the other cards until all have been told their fortunes. Now the cards are collected,

shufiied and handed to the next person in line who becomes the teller and. deals the cards out again, this giving a chance to learn the art of interpreting the cards. The game repeats with the third player, and so on, and its fascination lies in the capability, style and originality of the different persons who assume the role of teller.

I claim:

1. A set of fortune-telling cards bearing inscriptions, the inscription on each card being a suggestive disclosure in connective relation to the inscription on any other card, and a master card. bearing topical inscriptions and a directional sign for each of the latter.

2. The article of claim 1, the topical inscriptions being at the corners of the master card, and each sign pointing to the corresponding corner 3. The article of claim 1, the topical inscrip-v tions being at the corners of the master card, and a set of key-shaped signs with their heads grouped in the center field of the master card and their points directed toward the corners of the same.

FRED SALINGER. 

